London has been battered by 50mph winds that have felled trees and caused travel chaos. Powerful gusts swept across the capital as the Met Office issued a yellow "be aware" weather alert for most of the country.

The Pakistani military has blocked a convoy carrying thousands of Pakistanis and a small contingent of US anti-war activists from entering a lawless tribal region along the border with Afghanistan to stage a protest against American drone strikes.

Divisions in the Middle East intensified today as Iran publicly vowed to support its “brother nation” Syria — while other neighbouring countries said they would seek stronger action to oust President Bashar al-Assad.

Campaigners today condemned the Government’s decision to install anti-aircraft missiles in residential areas during the Olympics as a “sad day for democracy” and vowed to continue their fight against the plan.